Some Thoughts And The Preface of Lahm’s Book

Here I am with a cup of TAZO Zen green tea, writing about Lahm’s book. Again. Obviously, people are… ticked off. Let’s put it that way, shall we? Somebody whom I know said, “So, the only good thing left in Lahm is his performance.” Wow…

They say he should not have said what he did about Klinsmann. First, it is not only Klinsmann that he talks about. He also talks about Magath and van Gaal, and his other coaches. Second, saying that Klinsmann was not a strategist is old news. At least, to me. I have also heard from one person that Philipp should wait till he succeeds in being a coach and then talk about others. In that case, here is my proposition: we all should wait until we become professional football players, so we can talk about games, competitions, etc.

If somebody else, not Philipp, said the same things he did, I wonder how people would react. Christoph Fischer states in his short commentary that it would not be bad if one did not read Lahm’s book; a statement that, in essence, amounts to the book’s uselessness. It is, after all, his opinion, so we are all good. But in the title of his commentary, Fischer mentions that the book is about revelations. Thus, I feel a need to clarify some things from my point of view, of course.

In particular, I do not see Lahm’s intention to reveal unalienable Truths. He clearly states that he talks about the world of football from his perspective. Not mine. Not my friend’s. Not his friend’s. Not his teammates’. His. In other words, Philipp Lahm’s perspective. It is about his experience, and his experience only, and what he has learned.

I do not think that those of us, who has been paying close attention to Philipp, should be surprised by this preface. I, for one, immediately recognized Philipp in it. Yes, I know it was written by him, but recognizing somebody in his writing makes me go, “Oh, I know exactly what he means here.” The book is more about sharing what he knows, what might, perhaps, help others in their pursuits.

After today’s game, Lahm was asked about his book, too. He simply said that it was not the time to talk about it, that one should talk about the Champions League at the moment, and that they could do the talking about his book some other time. Classic.

I am 27. I play at FC Bayern Munich, the best club in Germany. I am a full-back of the German National Team, the team of these young, promising football players, with whom I would like to win the European Championship in Poland and Ukraine in 2012. My career is already at its peak, but there is still a lot to face.

This book is a book that I, myself, would have liked to read at the time when I was a young football player. It is a book about how professional football functions nowadays.

Because a modern football player should not only be able to play football. He has to plan his career in detail, get along with the most various executives, coaches, and players, integrate himself in diverse, challenging formations, deal with the media’s demands, lead a life of a well-known person, be aware of his responsibility as a public figure. This book deals with how I have met those challenges and successfully started my career.

I have chosen the title The Subtle Difference because often only small details determine if a professional football player has a big or moderate career. What those small things are, tell the sixteen chapters of this book.

I have preceded each chapter with some points that are at the core for me – key questions for every female athlete and male athlete, for every female reader and male reader, who would like to understand football better. In the chapters themselves, appropriate answers to those questions will be given, recounting how the pivotal moments of my career has turned out – in the introduction there are hints as to what lessons can be learned.

It has become a book that draws a picture of the profession of a modern football player. It is a demanding profession, more multifaceted than one, perhaps, thinks when watching a football match on TV.

A nice profession, my dream profession. I hope that this book will help to understand better this profession and the world of football in all their variety.

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7 comments

I like the Preface! That’s exactly what it is about the book. But it’s a pity that media wouldn’t pay attention on these things. They like digging out something “attractive” and stirring up trouble among people, and then critics came out. Oh, I hate media so much…

I agree with you that it (the preface) is completely Philipp =) With regard to the interview, at first I was like, “Oh.., he did not want to talk about it… Huh…” But then I took a second to think it over and decided, “He is totally right.” And, in addition, it’s smart.

Forgot to mention this in my previous response to you, but I hope I’ll get my book on September 8th. At least, that’s what I have been promised. Can’t wait to read it, including Chapter 15 =)

Hello! Finally, I found a Lahm blog. I thank you for posting stuff concerning Philipp’s book. I am a fan of his from the Philippines and I’m hoping so badly for his book to be sold here in the Philippines. :( I mean, a book like his is something I’d really buy!